Tariff-chart.



J. H. ROBINSON.

TABIFP CHART.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 29, |912.

1,029,085, Patented Jun@ 11,1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

The FIRST CHARGE ZONE is indicated by the yellow .Square containing nine numbers. (For 0F56 A rcel can be sentfrum your vfice in any uffce bearing one of these numbers far The COND CHARGE ZONE will include all numbers between the yellow square and the in yellow is in this zone) a wel can be sent from your oce to any olce bearing a number which The THlRD CHARGE ZON will include all numbers between the second charge zone andthe in Ilowis in this zone) aparcel can be serrtfrnm your mice Io any office bearing a number which The URTH CHARGE ZONE will inclyde all numbers between 'the third charge zone and the in yellow' is in this zone) aparcel can be Serrtfrvm your affce in any afoe bearing a number which c The FIFTH CHARGE ZONE will include all numbers between the fourth charge zone andthe in llow is in this zone) n parcel aan be sent fmm your office to any cce bearing a number which The Sl H CHARGE ZONE will include all numbers :fyond the flch charge zone line (the in yellowis in this zone) aparl an be sent'om your lce to any ofce bearing @number which NOTlCE When n' parcel received For shipmenl. i; addressed to a state the boundary of which is ir the charge to a point within that state being the same.

Red lines indicate ate boundaries.

Numbers .read from the top down. Registered, April 2,l9lZ,f

7511608.26251 lwemr J. H. ROBINSON.

TABIFF CHART.

APPLICATION FILED Arx. 29, 1912.

Y1,029,085, Patented June 11, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

u numbers see Rural Post Guide) next' )sllow zone line (the `figure 2 appearsv in this une fur next )cllow zone line (Hue figure 3 qpanrs in this une r.

next yeliow una line (thegur'e 4 'm thi une for. next-)elbw zone lim (thegure 5 nppears in this zone for.

gure 6 appears in his zone far. nduded 'many one zone it will not be necessaryb lookupihe uice number 1in-Copyfight'y under the Prvv'wvn 0f Sect-ion ",OF the Copyright' Ad, Marsh 4, |909, BY JJLROBI J. H. ROBINSON.

TARIFE' CHART.

Ammon-10N FILED H1149, 1912.

1,029,085, Patented June 11, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Z W 74:71 m A J. H. ROBINSON.

TARIFF CHART.

APPLICATION FILED nnss, 1912.

1,029,085, Patented June 11,1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

J. H. ROBINSON.

TARIFF CHART.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 29, 1912.

1,029,085, Patented June 11, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

JOHN H. ROBINSON, 01E WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA.

TARIFF- CHART.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 29, 1912.

Patented June ii, 1912.

Serial No. 693,903.

To all whom 'it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN lH. RoniNsoN, a citizen of ,the United States, residing at. l/Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain lnew and useful Improvements in Taritf-Chartsg' and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and to the figures and letters'of reference marked thereon.

The present invention relates to a chart for assisting in thc determination of charges for the transportation or carriage of goods lfrom any point to any other point within .a

given geographical area. The chart is based upon what is known as the zone principle in which each point of origin is presumed to be at the center of a Surrounding series of zones and the charges for transportation from said point of origin or center to all points in a zone are the same, the rates, of course, depending upon the distance of the zone from the pointof origin.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a chart which may be readily ada-pted for use in determining the charge to be made fromsany point of origin within the geographical area to any other point or points of destination within said area, whereby the cost of producing the charts may be greatly reduced, and an absolute uniformity in the charges secured without the necessity of but-'occasionally consulting the rate schedules such as are now in common use or the rate guide which is designed to be published in connection with the chart to serve as a check or guide for conditions and situations not clearly indicated by the chart, 0r for which the chart may serve as a key to facilitate the location of the desired information in the guide.

Other objects of the invent-ion will appear from the following description and claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,-Figures l, la, 1b, and lc represent a chart of the geographical area of the United States of America divided into four parts for convenience of illustration and to represent the area on a larger scale than would be possible on a single sheet of drawing; Fig. 2 is a representation of a; chart more or less diagrammatic in character and on a very much smaller scale than the representation vin Figs. l toV 1, inclusive, but showing the zone boundaries substantially complete, in order that their relation to the geographical area represented may be more readily understood.

- The chart adopted for illustrating the present invention is a conventionalized representation of the geographical area of the United States of America, and said area is represented sub-divided throughout into small rectangular areas all of uniform corresponding dimensions, each sub'division being the smallest desired unit area and the geographical distances between the corresponding boundaries of the areas being supposed to be the same geographical distance throughout.

ln order that the actual geographical boundaries may all fall within the rectangular unit arcas, the geographical boundaries are preferablyy conventionalized and represented as conforming to unit boundaries, the entire area therefore presenting the appearance of a conventionalized map, the boundary lines of which are formed entirely by straight lines parallel and perpendicular to each other and parallel with the lines of sub-division within the area.

Referring particularly to Figs. l to 'lC it will be seen that the boundary lines of the unit areas as well as of the geographical area are formed by vertical lines A, A, etc., and horizontal lines B, B, etc., preferably spaced uniformly and equally in both directions so as to sub-divide the map representation into squares, the total number. of which, in the chart illustrated, is'3544. Each square represents a unit area, and while itmay be of any dimensions desired, preferably and for convenience, each rectangle is in its vertical and horizontal dimension approximately thirty Aminutes of longitude and latitude, respectively, and leach unit rectangle is identified by a number. For convenience in the ready location of any particular unit rect-angle or area, the vertical columns are numbered in multiples of fifty; that is to say, starting, for instance, at the upper left hand corner of the chart, the unit areas in the first vertical column, if represented, would be numbered from O to a9, inclusive; in the second vertical column from 50 to 99, in the third vertical column from 100 to 149, and so on, throughout the whole geographical area represented by the chart, the corresponding numbers in each series extending in` horizontal rows across the chart, and if a unit area or rectangle be omitted in any.

headed by the number 2900 can be readily found at the top of the chart and following down that column We find the desired number at once, whereby a postmaster or person desiring to figure a charge for transporting a package., having located from his guide the number of the unit area in which the point of destination is located, turns tothe chart and finding the unit area ou' the chart he can tell at a glance within which zone it lies,

and can determine the charge accordingly.

lVith a. chart as thus constructed, zone areas or indications mayl be developed around any one of the unit areas as a center, each of which zones will have its boundary throughoutsubstantially equidistant from the unit area forming the center, and thezone boundariesby being made to conform in outline to the unit boundaries will constitute definite lines ofl demarcation between the zones, leaving no room for doubt or dispute as to the charge to be made for transportation toa point in any one of the unit areas.

The zone boundaries in Figs. 1 to 1C are definedby the distinctive marks F, which in the actual charts may be colored, and the several zones are numbered from the center unit area` outwardly with the large dis tinctive numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.

In the specific scheme illustrated by the chart in the drawings the eight unit areas grouped about another unit area are presumed to constitute the area in which the minimum charge is made, and this, in Fig. l, is represented by the shaded area G, while the boundaries of the successively larger zones are indicated by the distinctive lines F before referred to.

The area in which the minimum charge pertains is in this specific embodiment the area of the unit in which the oflice of origin is located and Athe immediately adjoining units, for example, the eight surrounding units. By this .arrangement the charges between proximate offices is always uniform, even though the oflices of origin and destination be located in ditferent proximate units.

. Having once prepared the outlines of the desired zones, it becomes a simple matter to impressthose outlines upon the chart with any desired unit area as the center, and consequently the large number of charts which would be required for a par eels -post system, for instance, can.be prepared with the exception of the zone outlines, and the zone outlines be impressed thereon at slight expense for each of the unit areas, or if so desired, a transparent or slip sheet having the zone outlines thereon may be placed over the 'chart with the center coinciding with the desired unit area., whereby each postoftice within the unit area and each of the unit areas may be cheaply supplied `with a chart from which the rate of charges may be quickly and accurately determined.

As a material factor in assisting a user of the chart to determine quickly :trom addressed packages -the zone in which the point ot destination is located, the chart should have indications of the political boundaries within the geographical area, for it is customary in addressing packages or goods to be transported, to indicate the pointof destination by the name of the postoftice and t-he political division or State in which it is located. Inasmuch as confusion would .necessarily arise should the true geographical boundaries of the political divisions be followed on the chart, said political divisions are conventionalized and their boundary lines made to conform to or extend parallel With the boundarylines of the unit areas; for. example, Where the boundaries of the unit areas correspond to the boundary lines of the State, they will, of

course, coincide as at B in Fig. 1c, but where the boundary lines of the State meander, or cross a unit area andpostoflices or points of destination are located withinthe area in both States,the boundary line of the State is extended in right lines into or across the unit area as at B2 in Fig. 1, thereby indicating to the user of the chart at a glance that the-point of destination may be within one or the other of the zones, but in the great majority of instances it will be found that the entire State is located Within one or the other of the zones, and the charge for transportation may be told without a second thought. Should there be a doubt, the guide in `which all postofliees within a unit are given a number correspending to that unit is consulted, andthe Vnumber of the unit having been determined from the guide, a glance atithe chart will show within which particular zone it isl located. y

In Fig. 2 there is represented on a small sca-le the chart .shown in Figs. 1 to 1 and with the zone boundaries shown complete or as complete as is necessary for an u'nderstanding oflthe invention. In this representation of the chart, the center unit for the zone areas is presumed to be the unitl area No. 2925 shown in Fig. 1a with the appropriate number thereon, but the unit areas of the`chart shown in Fig. 2 are on too small la scale to permit of being numberd.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot the United States, is:

1. A chart for aiding in the determination ot' charges for transportation of merchandise, etc., in any direction in a given geographical area, said chart having the geographical area represented as sub-divided throughout into small rectangular areas all ot uniform corresponding dimensions and each representing the smallest desired uniti of geographical area and a plurality of zone indications around one ot said unit areas as a center, the boundaries of each of said zones coinciding with unit area boundaries, whereby the geographical distance of each zone boundary from the center unit may be made substantially uniform throughout.

2. A chart for aiding in the determination of charges for transportation of merchandise, etc., in any direction in a given geographical area, said charthaving'the geographical area represented as sub-divided throughout into small rectangular areas all of uniform corresponding dimensions and each representing the smallest desired unit ot' geographical area, there being distinctive boundary undulations for the polit":al divi- ,I

sions extending only parallel with the unit boundaries, and a plurality of zone indications around one of said unit` areas as a center, the boundary of each ot said zones co inciding with unit area boundaries, whereby the geographical distance of each zone boundary from the center unit may be made substantially uniform throughout.

S. A chart tor aiding in the determination of charges for the transportation of merchandise` etc.. in any direction in a given geographical arca. said chart having the geographical area detined by a conventionalized representation ot? the area with its boundaries formed only by straight horizontal and vcrticallines and with the area so bounded. sub-divided into rectangular unit areas all ot' unitorm correslmnding diluelr sions.

t. chart for aiding in thc determination otIV charges for the transportation ot nuu'chandise. etc., in any direction in a given geographical area. said chart having the geographical area deined h v a conventionalixed representation ot' the area with its boundaries formed only by horizontal and vertical lines and with the area so bounded subdivided into rectangular unit areas all of uniform corresponding dimensions, and a plurality of distinctive zone boundary indicating lines around one of said unit areas as a center, the boundary of each ot said zones coinciding with unit area boundaries, whereby the geographical distance of each zone boundary from the center unit may he made substantially uniform throughout.

5. A chart for aiding in the determination ofcharges for the transportation of merchandise, etc., in any direction in a given geographical area containing political divisions, said 'chart having the geographical area defined by a conventionalized representation ot' the area with its boundaries formed only by straight lines normal to each other and with the area so bounded sub-divided into small rectangular unit areas all of uniform eorrcspomling dimensions, there being distinctive lilies representing the political divisions of the area, said distinctive lines extending only parallel with the boundaries ofthe unit areas and a plurality of distinctive zone boundary indicating lines around one ot' said nnitareas as a center, thc boundary ot each of said zones coinciding with unit area boundaries, whereby the geographical distance of each zone boundary from the center unit may be made substantially uniform throughout.

(i. A chart for aiding in the determination of charges for transportation of merchandise, etc.` in any direction in a given geographical area, embodying a chart sheet having the geographical area represented as sub-divided throughout into small rectangular areas all of uniform corresponding dimensions and each representing the smallest desired unit of geographical area and a relatively movable zone sheet having a plurality ot zone indications thereon, the boundary lines ot each zone corresponding to unit boundaries, said sheets being adapted to be superposed to present a composite chart whereby any unit may constitute the zone center and the geographical distance ot each zone boundary from said center may be made substantially uniform throughout and to coincide with unit boundaries.

JOHN lI. ROBINSON.

Wi t nesses Copies of this patent may be obtained flor ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

